Which of the following did NOT shape the character of English settlements in America? The colonies were able to develop their own political and social institutions.
The colonies were designed to transplant society from the old world to the new.
The colonies promoted freedom of religion.
The colonies adopted native agricultural techniques.

The correct answer is The colonies promoted freedom of religion.

Explanation:

English settlers first arrived on the American continent at the beginning of the 17th century and over the next years and centuries colonies were formed mainly along the east coast of the continent. These colonies partially resembled England but also were different in some aspects.

In terms of religion, the colonies were mainly restrictive. This can be explained due to the great influence of puritans who emphasized the importance of Protestantism and morals related to it. Indeed, due to this belief in some colonies such as Massachusetts those considered to be witches were persecuted. According to this, the colonies were not characterized by freedom of religion.

after the civil war, and with the termination of slavery, the south was faced with a big problem; what was supposed to happen and how they were supposed to deal with the freedom and the rights that black people and freed slaves had gained as a result of the north defeating the south and forcing the end of slavery. first, most, if not all, of the workforce of the south came from slaves and they did not have an option to replace the loss of said workforce. second, particularly in the south, people were convinced that black people were lesser, less intelligent, less capable and less smart than whites. this posed a huge problem for them. also, southerners were faced with another issue; freed slaves now had a say in how their lives would be lived and the right to politically choose the way they would be governed. people in the south did not want to accept this, none of this and this opposition and the conflicts that arose from it, not to mention the afereffects of the war, forced the congress of the time to enact and enforce the reconstruction plans that had been proposed by president andrew johnson.